Daleville OKs opioid suit settlement

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies and Daleville is among the beneficiaries of that settlement.

At the Daleville City Council meeting Jan. 18, the council agreed to the settlement reached with Endo Health Solutions Inc. and Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.

In 2017 the state of Alabama, through the attorney general’s office, had filed the class action lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies for their role in increasing opioid addiction and abuse nationwide, charging negligence and aggressive sales tactics.

The Daleville council had voted to join the class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies upon the recommendation of Daleville City Council Attorney Henry Steagall.

Steagall said his initial thought had been whether the opioid abuse issue had caused damage to Dale County or its municipalities. “But we do have to pay medical bills for the prisoners in jail,” he had said.

Daleville will receive $10,283 for participating in the Endo settlement. “Settlement funds must be used to prevent, treat and support recovery from opioid addiction and any other co-occurring substance use or mental health conditions which are all long-lasting (chronic) diseases that can cause major health, social and economic problems at the individual, family, community and/or state level,” according to the settlement agreement. “The opioid epidemic is ongoing, both in terms of research on the efficacy and efficiency of known strategies and in innovative programs at the federal, state and political subdivision levels.”

The next meeting of the Daleville City Council is Feb. 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Daleville City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.